The Simpsons had so many memorable episodes, along with a plethora of guest-stars throughout its iconic run. However, an episode that'll always stand out among most, is Stephen Hawking appearing on the series. It was quite the cameo, and one Hawking himself adored.
In truth, as we'll reveal, it was far from his only TV appearance. Hawking had more than a few and following his passing in 2018, several of those shows issued tributes to his wonderful life.
In the following, we'll take a look at what went on behind the scenes during Hawking's cameo on The Simpsons. Hawking was involved with the creative process, especially in terms of what he wanted to do, and what he wanted to avoid.
Stephen Hawking Had Several Memorable Cameos On Television
In 2018, the world lost one its most brilliant minds. In truth, not only was Hawking an established theoretical physicist, but he also turned into an icon on television and film, taking on roles most actors can only dream of.
Among his most iconic appearances came on The Big Bang Theory. Of course, Hawking agreed to appear on the series, given its love for science. He made numerous appearances on the show - his scenes with Sheldon were iconic to say the least. The show would even pay tribute to his passing.
During his time on Big Bang, Hawking was very hands-on, according to Chuck Lorre.
“All of professor Hawking’s dialogue was preprogrammed and triggered through a voice synthesizer. When we offered to do that, we were told he preferred to program and trigger his lines by himself. He wanted to ‘act.’ ”
Out of all the iconic guests, Hawking is always viewed as the best in the entire series, according to the cast.
Among other appearances, included the one that started his television career in, Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also appeared on Futurama.
However, in terms of his more memorable appearances, The Simpsons likely we'll always stand out against the rest of them.
Stephen Hawking Wanted To Avoid Being Drunk On The Simpsons
Celebs at times, have notes on what they are and aren't willing to do when appearing on a show. As for Stephen Hawking, he had one simple rule, and that was not to be drunk on the animates series. Al Jean, The Simpsons showrunner discussed his demand alongside The Hollywood Reporter.
"The only limitation Hawking placed on his appearance was he did not want to be drunk onscreen. That was the only note we got from him. He didn’t mind having a beer with Homer at Moe’s, but not more.”
It should not come as a surprise, Hawking was adored by the cast behind the scenes and that was especially evident when he showed off his charisma during table reads.
Stephen Hawking Used His Own Joke On The Simpsons
Not only did Hawking appear on The Simpsons but like his time on TBBT, he was very hands-on when it came to his lines. Even at the table read, it was evident he was having a blast with the experience.
“One thing about him that is maybe not as well known, he had a tremendous sense of humor,” Jean said. “He would tell jokes when he came to our table reads, which he did several times," Al Jean recalls with The Hollywood Reporter.
Hawking's first appearance came in 1999 during the season 10 episode, 'They Saved Lisa's Brain'. The process of getting Stephen's line on the show was quite intriguing.
“What we would do is send him the script and then he would record it through his machine,” Jean explained. “So it was his voice, his special audio program. He did come to studio when he was in America, but he didn’t ever go to the record.”
As for his best line, that was all Hawking. “Larry Flynt is right! You guys stink," Jean recalls the iconic lines.
“Mr. Hawking read it and allowed it,” Jean said. “The joke is Homer is an idiot. In no way was it critical of Mr. Hawking.”
It was also said that the cast had a blast meeting Hawking. He clearly brightened up any room he was in.